Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A reliable and sustainable water supply consistent with your needs and the
capability of the aquifer
Although you need to hire a licensed water well contractor to design, drill and construct
the well and choose the appropriate materials, it is important for you to know what is going
on. You can then work with the contractor to ensure you get the well design you need.
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Other things to consider when choosing a licensed water well contractor are:
Are they approachable? Can you talk comfortably with them about the local geology,
their proposed well design and construction and the pumping equipment
they recommend?
Do they have a good reputation? Ask for references and check whether previous
cllients are happy with their wells.
Are their prices competitive? The cheapest estimate may not translate into the
best well. Be sure to compare cost estimates carefully.
Are they knowledgeable and willing to discuss the regulations that govern water
well drilling in Alberta?
The well is accessible for cleaning, testing, monitoring, maintenance and repair
The ground surrounding the well is sloped away from the well to prevent any
surface run off from collecting or ponding
The well is up-slope and as far as possible from potential contamination sources
such as septic systems, barnyards or surface water bodies
The well is not housed in any building other than a bona fide pump house.
The pump house must be properly vented to the outside to prevent any build-up
of dangerous naturally occurring gases and must house only the well and
pumping equipment
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*The installation of a leaching cesspool
is no longer permitted. It is, however,
highly recommended that any newly
constructed water well be located at least
30 m (100 ft.) from any existing leaching
cesspool. See Module 12 "Other Resources"
for the requirements for Alberta Private
Sewage Systems.
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15
livestock yard
100 m (329 ft.) from dead animal burial or composting site
area or
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a landfill
Type of well
Intended use
Well depth
Casing material, size and wall thickness
Intake design
Annular seal
Monitoring and preventive maintenance provisions.
Well Depth
Figure 1 Bored Well
During the test hole drilling, the licensed water well contractor will complete a lithologic
or formation log. Soil and rock samples are taken at various depths and the type of geologic
material is recorded. This allows the driller to identify zones with the best potential for water
supply. Some drillers also run a geophysical (electric) log in the test hole to further define the
geology. This gives them more accurate information about aquifer location.
Generally a well is completed to the bottom of the aquifer. This allows more of the aquifer
to be utilized and ensures the highest possible production from the well.
Types of Wells
There are two main types of wells, each distinguished by the diameter of the bore hole.
The two types are bored wells and drilled wells.
Bored wells
Bored wells are constructed when low yielding groundwater sources are found relatively
close to the surface, usually under 30 m (100 ft.). Bored wells are constructed using a rotary
bucket auger. They are usually completed by perforating the casing (also called cribbing) or
using a sand screen with continuous slot openings (see Figure 1, Bored Well).
One advantage of bored wells is the large diameter of the casing, from 45-90 cm
(18-36 in.). It provides a water storage reservoir for use during peak demand periods.
A disadvantage of utilizing a shallow groundwater aquifer is that it generally relies on
annual precipitation for recharge. Water shortages may occur following long dry periods in
summer and extended freeze up during winter months. It can also be more susceptible to
contamination from surface land-use activities.
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Drilled wells
Drilled wells are smaller in diameter, usually ranging from 10-20 cm (4-8 in.), and
completed to much greater depths than bored wells, up to several hundred metres. The
producing aquifer is generally less susceptible to pollution from surface sources because of
the depth. Also, the water supply tends to be more reliable since it is less affected by seasonal
weather patterns.
There are two primary methods of drilling:
Rotary
Cable
tool.
Rotary drilled wells are constructed using a drill bit on the end of a rotating drillstem.
Drilling fluid or air is circulated down through the drillstem in the hole and back to the
surface to remove cuttings. Rotary drilling rigs operate quickly and can reach depths of over
300 m (1000 ft.), with casing diameters of 10-45 cm (4-18 in.).
Cable tool drilled wells are constructed by lifting and dropping a heavy drill bit in the
bore hole. The resulting loose material, mixed with water, is removed using a bailer or sand
pump. This method, also called percussion drilling, reaches depths up to 300 m (1000 ft.).
Well diameters can range from 10-45 cm (4-18 in.). The drilling rate is typically much slower
than for a rotary rig, but when aquifers are low yielding, they may be more easily identified
using this method.
Figure 2 Well Completions
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There are three types of possible well completions for both drilling methods (see Figure 2,
Well Completions):
Surface casing with slotted or perforated liner
Sand
Aquifer characteristics
Drilling method
Well depth
The casing must be large enough to house the pump and allow sufficient clearance for
installation and efficient operation.
If a submersible pump is going to be used, the casing must have an inside diameter of at
least 10.16 cm (4 in.), by law. It is recommended that the casing be at least one nominal size
larger than the outside diameter of the pump. The more space there is between the pump
and the casing, the easier it will be to service and repair the pump in the future.
There are two common materials used for casing: steel and plastic. Steel casing is the
strongest but is susceptible to corrosion. Plastic casing is becoming more popular because of
its resistance to corrosion.
All casing must be new and uncontaminated. Plastic casing must be made of virgin resin,
not recycled material.
Intake Design
Water moves from the aquifer into the well through either a screen or slotted or
perforated casing.
Screens are manufactured with regularly shaped and sized openings. They are
engineered to allow the maximum amount of water in with minimal entry of formation
sediments. Stainless steel screens are the most widely used because they are strong and
relatively able to withstand corrosive water. Screens are manufactured with various slot
sizes and shapes to match the characteristics of the aquifer.
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Slot openings and perforations are spaced further apart than screen openings. This
reduces the amount of open area to allow water into the well. The openings tend to vary in
size and may have rough edges depending on how they were made. This impedes the flow of
water into the well and may not be effective in holding back the formation sediments.
The licensed water well contractor examines the cuttings from the borehole and makes a
judgement whether to use a screen, or slotted or perforated casing/liner. While a screen is the
more expensive alternative, it is necessary if the aquifer is composed of loose material such
as fine sand, gravel or soft sandstone. A slotted or perforated casing/liner can be used when
the aquifer formation is more consolidated, such as hard sandstone or fractured shale.
After a choice is made between a screen, or slotted or perforated casing/liner other
decisions will be made regarding:
The total area of the slot openings is dependent on the length and diameter of the screen.
While the length of the screen is variable, the diameter of the screen is determined by the
diameter of the well casing. The yield from a well increases with an increase in screen
diameter but not proportionately so.
The amount of open area in the screen or slotted or perforated casing/liner will affect how
quickly the water from the aquifer enters the well. A larger amount of open area allows the
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water to enter the well at a slower rate, causing a lower drop in pressure as the water moves
into the well. If the water flows too quickly, dissolved minerals in the water will precipitate
out of solution and create an incrustation build-up in restricting the flow of groundwater into
the well. The pore spaces in the aquifer immediately adjacent to the perforations may also
get plugged, restricting the flow even more.
Figure 3 Annular Seal
Annular Seal
Sealing the well protects the wells producing zone from contamination. The diameter
of the borehole is usually slightly larger than the casing being installed. The space between
the borehole and the casing is called the annulus of the well or the annular space. It must
be sealed to prevent any surface contamination from migrating downward and contaminating
the water supply. A properly sealed annulus also prevents any mixing of poor quality
water from upper aquifers with water from the producing aquifer of the well (see Figure 3,
Annular Seal).
Provincial regulations require the annulus be filled with impervious material such as
cement or bentonite. To isolate the producing zone of the well, the annulus should be filled
from immediately above the perforated zone to the ground surface.
Well Cap
A commercially manufactured, vermin-proof well cap is the only type of cap designed
to keep animals, insects and contaminants from entering your well. It comes equipped with
rubber gaskets and screened vents to ensure vermin stay out and air can circulate through.
Coverings for large diameter wells must be custom made because of their larger size.
Ideally they should be made of steel, or fiberglass or plastic that is stamped for potable water
use.
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Well Completion
Once the well has been drilled and the equipment is in place, there are several
procedures the licensed water well contractor must complete before the well is ready to use.
The driller is responsible for:
Well Development
Well development is the process of removing fine sediment and drilling fluid from the
area immediately surrounding the perforations. This increases the wells ability to produce
water and maximize production from the aquifer.
If the aquifer formation does not naturally have any relatively coarse particles to form a
filter, it may be necessary for the driller to install an artificial filter pack. This pack is placed
around the screen or perforations so the well can be developed. For example, this procedure
is necessary when the aquifer is composed of fine sand and the individual grains are uniform
in size.
It is important to match the grain size of the filter pack material with the size of the slot
openings of the screen to attain maximum yield from the well. Typically the slot size of the
screen is selected so that 85 percent of the artificial pack material will remain outside of the
screen after well development.
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Yield Test
A yield test is important because the information gathered during the test assists the
driller in determining the:
Provincial regulations outline the requirement for a minimum yield test to be performed
on all new wells. After drilling and developing a well, the licensed water well contractor must
remove water from the well for at least 2 hours. If a pump is used to remove the water, then
water level measurements can be recorded as the water level draws down during pumping. If
the yield test is performed using a bailer or air compressor to remove the water, water level
measurements cannot be taken during the water removal portion of the test.
After 2 hours, water removal must be stopped and the recovery of the water level then
monitored and recorded. Measurements must be taken at specific time intervals for a 2 hour
period or until the water level returns to 90 percent of its original level.
Once the yield test is complete, the driller will decide at what rate the well can be
pumped without lowering the water level below the top boundary of the aquifer, the top of
the perforations or below the pump intake.
Your pump should have a capacity equal to, or less than, the rate at which the well can
supply water for an extended period of time without lowering the water level below the pump
intake. That pumping rate is considered the long-term, safe and sustainable pumping rate
for the well.
The value of using a pump to perform the yield test is the test will be repeatable. You
should periodically conduct a similar yield test to collect new data that can be compared to
previous tests. If you notice a decline in well performance you can have your licensed water
well contractor back to rehabilitate or repair your well. Keeping a watchful eye on your well
will enable you to recognize the symptoms of declining performance before it is too late to
economically repair the well.
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